Bonded structures without intervening adhesive

ABSTRACT

A bonded structure can include a first reconstituted element comprising a first element and having a first side comprising a first bonding surface and a second side opposite the first side. The first reconstituted element can comprise a first protective material disposed about a first sidewall surface of the first element. The bonded structure can comprise a second reconstituted element comprising a second element and having a first side comprising a second bonding surface and a second side opposite the first side. The first reconstituted element can comprise a second protective material disposed about a second sidewall surface of the second element. The second bonding surface of the first side of the second reconstituted element can be directly bonded to the first bonding surface of the first side of the first reconstituted element without an intervening adhesive along a bonding interface.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/792,360, filed Jan. 14, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety and for all purposes.

BACKGROUND Field

The field relates to bonded structures and methods for forming the same.

Description of the Related Art

In various packaging arrangements, it can be advantageous to stack multiple integrated device dies within a low-profile package. For example, three-dimensional (3D) integration techniques often utilize packages in which two or more integrated device dies are stacked on top of and electrically connected to one another. Conventional methods for die thinning and/or 3D integration may have limited product yield because stresses imparted to the dies during assembly may damage dies in the stack, and because it can be challenging to reliably align and connect stacked dies. Accordingly, there remains a continuing need for improved systems and methods for stacking integrated device dies.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These aspects and others will be apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawing, which is meant to illustrate and not to limit the invention, wherein:

FIGS. 1A-1C schematically illustrates the use of a sacrificial carrier in various direct bonding processes.

FIG. 2 illustrates a plurality of elements directly bonded to a carrier.

FIGS. 3A-3C show various examples in which elements are directly bonded to a carrier without an adhesive.

FIG. 4A is a schematic side view of a plurality of elements directly bonded to a carrier and with a protective material applied over the elements and within gaps between the elements.

FIG. 4B is a schematic side view of a plurality of elements that include one or more dummy elements directly bonded to a carrier.

FIGS. 5A-5C illustrate a series of processing steps for forming a reconstituted wafer.

FIG. 6 is a schematic side sectional view of a reconstituted wafer having a bonding layer configured to directly bond to another reconstituted wafer or substrate.

FIG. 7A illustrates two opposing reconstituted wafers prior to direct bonding.

FIG. 7B illustrates the two opposing reconstituted wafers after being directly bonded to one another.

FIG. 8A-8B illustrate methods and structures for stacking more than two reconstituted wafers, according to various embodiments.

FIGS. 9A-9F illustrate various face up bonded structures, according to various embodiments.

FIGS. 10A-10E illustrate various face down bonded structures, according to various embodiments.

FIG. 11 illustrates another embodiment in which an additional filler material can serve as a second protective material and may be provided over a conformal protective material in the gaps between adjacent elements.

FIGS. 12A-12C illustrate a method for forming a reconstituted wafer according to various embodiments.

FIGS. 13A-13B illustrate a method for forming a reconstituted wafer according to various embodiments.

FIGS. 14A-14C illustrate another embodiment in which a mold compound can be provided between adjacent elements directly bonded to a carrier, and a metal can be provided on the mold compound.

FIGS. 15A-15C illustrate another embodiment in which a mold compound can be provided between adjacent elements directly bonded to a carrier, and a metal can be provided on both sides of the mold compound.

FIGS. 16A-16C illustrate another embodiment in which a protective coating or layer can be provided between the mold compound and the carrier.

FIGS. 17A-17D illustrates additional bonded structures that can be provided with the methods disclosed herein.

FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram of a system incorporating one or more bonded structures, according to various embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments disclosed herein relate to a bonded structure comprising a first element (e.g., a first integrated device die) having a first side and a second side opposite the first side. The bonded structure can include a second element (e.g., a second integrated device die) having a first side and a second side opposite the first side. The first side of the second integrated device die can be directly bonded to the first side of the first integrated device die without an intervening adhesive along a bonding interface. A protective material can be disposed about a periphery (e.g. respective sidewalls) of the first and second integrated device dies. The protective material can extend from the second side of the first integrated device die to the second side of the second integrated device die. In various embodiments, portions of the protective material can be disposed within gaps between adjacent first integrated device dies or elements. In some embodiments, the protective material can comprise an inorganic dielectric, such as silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, polysilicon, amorphous silicon, etc.

The embodiments disclosed herein can comprise wafer-level processes in which wafers or substrates, serving as carriers, are provided with a plurality of integrated device dies and a protective material (which can comprise one or a plurality of protective layers) over the integrated device dies. The die(s) and protective material can form at least a portion of a reconstituted wafer which can be bonded (e.g., directly bonded without an adhesive) to another reconstituted wafer formed by a similar process. The bonded reconstituted wafers can be singulated to form a plurality of bonded structures, for example after removal of the carriers. The bonded structures can comprise packaging structures in some embodiments. As used herein, direct bond interconnects, or DBI®, can comprise bonded structures in which densely dispersed conductive contacts are bonded to one another without an intervening adhesive. In various embodiments, the surrounding dielectric or nonconductive materials can also be directly bonded without an intervening adhesive. A ZiBOnd® process can comprise a direct bond between nonconductive materials without an intervening adhesive. Examples of DBI and ZiBond processes and structures may be found throughout at least U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,391,143; 10,141,218; 10,147,641; 9,431,368; and 7,126,212, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties and for all purposes. Each of the singulated dies mounted on the carriers can be tested prior to mounting, such that all dies in the reconstituted wafer can be Known Good Dies (KGD).

FIGS. 1A-1C schematically illustrate the use of a sacrificial carrier 3 in various direct bonding processes. As shown, in some embodiments, an element 2 can be directly bonded to a carrier 3 without an adhesive. Throughout this application, the element 2 (or any of the other elements described herein) can comprise any suitable type of element, such as a semiconductor element (e.g., an integrated device die), an optical element, etc. The carrier 3 can comprise any suitable type of carrier, such as a carrier with one or more logic or processing devices, and/or a sacrificial carrier (e.g., a carrier without active processing circuitry) that is to be removed at some point during processing.

The element 2 can comprise a front side 9 and a back side 10 opposite the front side 9. In various embodiments, the front side 9 can comprise a surface nearest to active circuitry or devices formed in the element 2. A first front bonding layer 4 can be provided at the front side 9 of the element 2. Although the bonding layer 4 is shown at the front side 9 of the element 2, a bonding layer may also or alternatively be provided on the back side 10 for bonding. The bonding layer 4 can comprise one or a plurality of contact pads 6 disposed within or surrounded by a nonconductive field region 5. In some embodiments, the contact pads can comprise copper, although other conductive materials are suitable. In some embodiments, the nonconductive field region can comprise a dielectric such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, etc. The back side 10 may or may not include active circuitry or devices. In various embodiments, the element 2 can comprise a singulated element (such as a singulated device die) having a side surface 8. The side surface 8 can comprise markings indicative of a singulation process, for example, saw markings, etch patterns, etc.

As explained above, and as shown in FIG. 1A, the element 2 (e.g., a die) can be directly bonded to the carrier 3 without an intervening adhesive along a bond interface 12. The front bonding layer 4 can be prepared for bonding, as explained above. For example, the front bonding layer 4 can be polished to a very low surface roughness and processed so as to enhance dielectric-to-dielectric direct bonding. In some embodiments, the surfaces to be bonded may be terminated with a suitable species and activated prior to bonding. For example, in some embodiments, the surfaces to be bonded may be very lightly etched for activation and exposed to a nitrogen-containing solution and terminated with a nitrogen-containing species. As one example, the surfaces to be bonded may be exposed to an ammonia dip after a very slight etch, and/or a nitrogen-containing plasma (with or without a separate etch).

Once the surfaces are prepared, the nonconductive field region 5 of the element 2 can be brought into contact with corresponding nonconductive regions of the carrier 3. The interaction of the activated surfaces can cause the nonconductive region 5 of the element 2 to directly bond with the corresponding nonconductive regions of the carrier 3 without an intervening adhesive, without application of external pressure, without application of voltage, and at room temperature. In various embodiments, the bonding forces of the nonconductive regions can be covalent bonds that are greater than Van der Waals bonds. In some embodiments, only nonconductive field regions of the element 2 are directly bonded to corresponding nonconductive regions of the carrier 3. In other embodiments, however, contact pads 6 of the element 2 can be directly bonded to corresponding conductive contacts of the carrier 3, and the nonconductive region 5 can also be directly bonded to the nonconductive regions of the carrier 3. In such embodiments, direct bonding of the contacts can improve alignment of the element 2 relative to the carrier 3. In the embodiments disclosed herein, the use of direct bonding can reduce movement during assembly as compared to implementations that utilize an intervening adhesive.

As shown in FIG. 1B, a protective material 7 can be applied over at least a portion of the element 2, including about at least a periphery or side surface 8 of the element 2. In some embodiments, the protective material 7 can be deposited along the side surface 8 and over an upper surface of the carrier 3. The protective material 7 can comprise one or more protective layers, including one or more inorganic layers, such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, polysilicon, amorphous silicon, a metal, etc.

As shown in FIG. 1C, the carrier 3 can be removed from the element 2 and the protective material 7 in any suitable manner. In the illustrated embodiment, the carrier 3 can comprise a silicon substrate or element with a nano oxide layer 11, which as used herein can include at least one of a native silicon oxide layer and a thermal silicon oxide layer. Each of the embodiments disclosed herein can utilize such a carrier with nano oxide layer 11. In some embodiments, in the carrier removal process the carrier 3 can be selectively etched using the silicon nano oxide layer 11 as an etch stop. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the nano oxide 11 layer can remain after removing the silicon base material of the carrier 3. In other embodiments, the entirety of the carrier 3 (e.g., the silicon base material and the nano oxide layer 11) can be removed. In embodiments that utilize a nano oxide layer 11, the element 2 can be planarized for bonding, but the carrier 3 may not be planarized prior to direct bonding. In other embodiments, both the element 2 and carrier 3 can be planarized for direct bonding. Direct bonding and subsequent removal of the carrier 3 as described herein can advantageously leave a planar surface for a reconstituted wafer for further processing as desired, including for additional direct bonding processes. In contrast, reconstituted wafers formed on sacrificial or temporary adhesive layers (e.g., tape or film) do not reliably provide planar surfaces and thus can lead to subsequent alignment issues, e.g., for subsequent direct bonding of dies for stacking. Such stacking with direct bonding could be by way of direct bonding individual second dies on a first reconstituted wafer, or simultaneously bonding multiple second dies in a second reconstituted wafer.

Beneficially, the embodiment of FIGS. 1A-1C can enable the reconstitution of wafers for direct bonding with improved alignment accuracy. For example, although only one element 2 or die is shown in FIGS. 1A-1C, it should be appreciated that an array of multiple dies can be provided, and as shown below. In other applications in which an adhesive is used to bond the elements 2 (e.g., dies) to the carrier 3, the elements 2 or dies may become misaligned relative to the carrier 3 due to movement or migration of the adhesive, for example, during or after heating or during placement for bonding. Such misalignments can result in misalignment for subsequently bonded structures and negatively affect the performance of the bonded structures. The embodiments disclosed herein can beneficially reduce misalignment by providing a direct bond interconnection with the carrier 3, which can serve to effectively fix the element 2 or die relative to the carrier 3 for subsequent processing, such as providing a protective material 7 (inorganic or organic) over the element 2, or any other suitable processing.

FIG. 2 illustrates a plurality of elements 2 directly bonded to a carrier 3, such as a wafer. Unless otherwise noted, reference numerals in FIG. 2 may represent components that are the same as or generally similar to like-numbered components of FIGS. 1A-1C. In FIG. 2, each element 2 can include one or more conductive vias 13 connected to back side(s) of corresponding contact pads 6. As shown in FIG. 2, the conductive vias may initially extend upwardly from the contact pad and terminate within the body of the element 2. After the directly bonding, the dies or elements 2 can be diced or singulated into a plurality of diced or singulated elements 2. As explained herein, the removal of a silicon substrate using the nano oxide layer 11 may leave a substantially smooth surface for subsequent direct bonding.

FIGS. 3A-3C show various examples in which elements 2 (e.g., integrated device dies) are directly bonded to a carrier 3 (e.g., a silicon substrate with nano oxide layer 11) without an intervening adhesive. FIG. 3A illustrates a relatively wide separation or gap G between elements 2, while FIG. 3B illustrates a relatively narrow separation or gap G between elements 2. FIG. 3C illustrates additional dummy elements 2′ or dies disposed between active elements 2 or dies, with relatively narrow gaps G therebetween. Providing the narrow gaps Gin FIGS. 3B and 3C can beneficially reduce the amount of protective material 7 used to fill the gaps G in subsequent steps and can enable conformal filling of the gaps G. Further, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, one or more alignment feature(s) 14 can be provide on the upper surface of the carrier 3. The alignment features 14 can be selectively positioned on the carrier 3 to assist in accurate placement of the elements 2.

FIG. 4A is a schematic side view of a plurality of elements 2 directly bonded to a carrier 3 and with a protective material 7 applied over the elements 2 and within the gaps G between the elements 2. In FIG. 4A, the elements 2 are illustrated as being all active integrated device dies. In FIG. 4B, some of the elements comprise dummy elements 2′, such as inactive blocks of semiconductor material (e.g., silicon). In FIGS. 4A and 4B, a protective layer 7 (such as an inorganic protective layer) can be provided over portions of the elements 2, including around a portion of the periphery (e.g., the side surface 8) within the gaps G and over upper surfaces (which are the back sides 10 in FIGS. 4A-4B) of the elements 2. Seams 15 such as voids or discontinuities may be present in the protective material 7.

The protective layer 7 can include one or a plurality of protective layers, including, e.g., inorganic or organic protective layer(s). In the illustrated embodiment, for example, the protective layer 7 can comprise inorganic layer(s) such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, polysilicon, amorphous silicon, or a metal. In other embodiments, at least a portion of the protective material 7 can comprise an organic material, such as a molding compound or epoxy. In some embodiments, the protective material 7 comprises both a conformal layer and a gap-fill layer. Beneficially, the protective material 7 can assist in affixing the elements 2 to the carrier 3 such that the elements 2 do not shift during subsequent direct bonding processes. The protective material 7 can also assist in protecting the elements 2 during polishing and other processing techniques to prevent damage to the dies (e.g., chipping). Examples of structures and processes for providing protective material 7 on and between adjacent directly bonded dies over a carrier, for use in conjunction with post-bonding thinning and/or singulation processes, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 10,204,893, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety and for all purposes.

FIGS. 5A-5C illustrate a series of processing steps for forming a reconstituted wafer 20. The reconstituted wafer 20 can be bonded (e.g., directly bonded) to another reconstituted wafer 20 or to other substrates in subsequent steps. In FIG. 5A, the upper surfaces of the conformal protective material 7 can be removed, e.g., by etching, lapping, grinding, polishing, etc. In some embodiments, the removal of the protective material 7 can also remove a portion of the back side 10 of the elements 2. In other embodiments, the removal step can terminate at the back side 10 of the element 2.

Turning to FIG. 5B, a portion of the element 2 from the back side 10 can be removed by etching, lapping, chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), or any other suitable method, to form a thinned back side 10′ of the element 2. As shown in FIG. 5A, this removal step can expose the conductive through substrate vias (TSVs) 13 or other electrical interconnects formed within the elements. The removal step can also form a cavity 16 defined at least in part by the thinned back side 10′ of the element 2 and side walls of the protective material 7. In FIG. 5C, a nonconductive layer 18 (e.g., a second oxide layer) can be provided (e.g., deposited) over the thinned back sides 10′ of the elements 2 and around the exposed vias 13. In some embodiments, the provided nonconductive layer 18 (for example, silicon oxide) can be lapped or polished to generate a planar surface and to ensure that the nonconductive layer 18 is generally planar relative to the exposed ends of the vias 13 and the protective material.

In FIG. 5C, the reconstituted wafer 20 can comprise a front surface 22 configured to be bonded (e.g., direct bonded) to another reconstituted wafer or other type of substrate. The reconstituted wafer 20 can also comprise a back surface 23. In the reconstituted wafer 20 of FIG. 5C, the protective material 7 can be disposed between adjacent elements 2 and can extend from the front surface 22 of the reconstituted wafer 20 to the upper surface of the carrier 3. A vertical interface 19 can be defined between the nonconductive layer 18 over the element 2 and the protective material 7. Similarly, a vertical interface 21 can be defined between the bonding layer 4 and the protective material 7.

FIG. 6 is a schematic side sectional view of a reconstituted wafer having a second bonding layer 4 b configured to directly bond to another reconstituted wafer or substrate. The first bonding layer 4, the contacts 6, and the nonconductive field region 5 of FIGS. 1A-5 have been renumbered as reference numerals 4 a, 6 a, and 5 a, respectively, in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 6, in some embodiments, the second bonding layer 4 b, e.g., a DBI layer having alternating conductive contacts 6 b and nonconductive bonding portions (e.g., field regions 5 b), can be provided over the nonconductive layer 18 (e.g., a second oxide layer) to facilitate additional bonding connections, if desired, to provide bonding pads conducive to DBI alignment. Thus, in FIG. 6, the second bonding layer 4 b can extend across multiple (e.g., all) of the elements 2 of the reconstituted wafer 20. A horizontal interface 19 can be formed between the second bonding layer 4 b and the nonconductive layer 18, and between the second bonding layer 4 b and the underlying protective material 7.

In FIGS. 7A-7B, two opposing reconstituted wafers 20 a, 20 b can be provided and can be directly bonded to form a pair of bonded reconstituted wafers 1′. The reference numerals have been appended with “a” or “b” to denote their respective associations with the reconstituted wafers 20 a or 20 b. FIG. 7A illustrates the two opposing reconstituted wafers 20 a, 20 b prior to direct bonding. FIG. 7B illustrates the two opposing reconstituted wafers 20 a, 20 b after being directly bonded to one another. Use of direct bonding on the carriers 3 a, 3 b provides the planarity desired at the die bonding surfaces for die-to-die direct bonding of conductive and non-conductive surfaces. In other embodiments, however, the carriers may not be used and instead the reconstituted wafers may comprise elements (e.g., dies) at least partially embedded in a molding compound or encapsulant without the use of a carrier. In FIG. 7B, the nonconductive protective layers can be directly bonded to one another without an adhesive along the bond interface 12. Other non-conductive field regions of the reconstituted wafers 20 a, 20 b (such as nonconductive field regions 5 a, 5 b of bonding layers 4 a, 4 b, the nonconductive layer(s) 18, etc.) can also be bonded to one another by an adhesive. Moreover, the conductive contacts 6 a, 6 b can be directly bonded without an adhesive. In some embodiments, some or all of the conductive contacts 6 a, 6 b can be initially recessed relative to the bonding surfaces. The bonded wafers 20 a, 20 b can be heated to cause the contacts 6 a, 6 b to expand and form an electrical contact. After heating, the interface between the contacts 6 a and 6 b may not be in the same plane as the bond interface 12.

Additional reconstituted wafers 20 a, 20 b can be provided as shown in FIGS. 8A-8B to provide any number of stacked reconstituted wafers 1′. The stacked reconstituted wafers 1′ can be singulated along singulation streets S to provide a plurality of bonded structures 1. Any suitable number of reconstituted wafers 20 a, 20 b can be provided to form the stacked reconstituted wafers 1′, which can also be singulated to form any suitable number of bonded structures 1. The singulation can be before removal of the carriers 3 as shown (if sacrificial), or after singulation. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 8A, both carriers 3 a, 3 b may not be removed prior to singulation. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 8B, one carrier 3 a can be removed prior to singulation. In other embodiments, both carriers 3 a, 3 b can be removed prior to singulation. As explained herein, removal of the carriers 3 a and/or 3 b using, for example, an etch process, may leave behind a nano oxide layer 11 to facilitate additional direct bonding.

FIGS. 9A-9F and 10A-10E illustrate various face up or face down bonded structures 1 that can result from the methods described herein. The bonded structures 1 shown in FIGS. 9A-9F and 10A-10E can comprise singulated reconstituted elements 24, such as singulated reconstituted integrated device dies. The singulated reconstituted elements 24 are shown in FIGS. 9A, 9E and 9F for illustrative purposes to show what structures may result from a singulated reconstituted wafer 20, according to various embodiments. As shown in FIGS. 9A-9F and 10A-10E, the surfaces nearest to active circuitry or devices can be the front surfaces 22 of the bonded structures 1, while the surfaces opposite the front surfaces 22 can be the back surfaces 23. Unlike individually picked and placed dies or elements, the directly bonded reconstituted elements 24 of the illustrated embodiments can have coplanar side surfaces as well as a direct bonding interface 12 between conductive (e.g., metal) and nonconductive (e.g., inorganic dielectrics such as oxides, including nitrogen and/or fluorine content to aid direct bonding) surfaces of the reconstituted elements 24, with no intervening adhesives.

FIGS. 9A-9F illustrate examples of face down bonded structures. Turning to FIG. 9A, the singulated reconstituted element 24 can comprise the element 2, the nonconductive layer 18 disposed on the thinned back side 10′ of the element 2, and bonding layers 4 a, 4 b at the front and back surfaces 22, 23, respectively. As shown in FIG. 9A, the protective material 7 can extend from the back side 23 to the front side 22 of the reconstituted element 24. Thus, in the embodiment of FIG. 9A, the singulated reconstituted element 24 can have a sidewall 25 defined by the outer exposed surface of the protective material. A vertical interface 26 can be defined between the protective material 7 and the element 2, the nonconductive layer 18, and the first and second bonding layers 4 a, 4 b. In the arrangement of FIG. 9A, the protective material 7 accordingly abuts the bonding layers 4 a, 4 b, which may be applied before the protective material 7 is provided. In other embodiments, as explained in connection with FIG. 6, one or more of the bonding layers 4 a, 4 b can extend over the protective material 7 such that the sidewall 25 includes the protective material 7 and a side edge of the bonding layers 4 a and/or 4 b.

FIG. 9B illustrates a front-to-back bonding arrangement in which the front surface 22 a of the reconstituted element 24 a is directly bonded to the back surface 23 b of the reconstituted element 24 b without an intervening adhesive to form the bonded structure 1. In FIG. 9B, a first portion 7 a of protective material can extend from the back surface 23 a of the reconstituted element 24 a to the bonding interface 12. A second portion 7 b of protective material can extend from the bonding interface 12 to the front surface 22 b of the reconstituted element 24 b.

FIG. 9C illustrates a front-to-front bonding arrangement in which the front surface 22 a of the reconstituted element 24 a is directly bonded to the front surface 23 a of the reconstituted element 24 b without an intervening adhesive to form the bonded structure 1. In FIG. 9C, the first portion 7 a of protective material can extend from the back surface 23 a of the reconstituted element 24 a to the bonding interface 12. The second portion 7 b of protective material can extend from the bonding interface 12 to the back surface 23 b of the reconstituted element 24 b.

FIG. 9D illustrates a back-to-back bonding arrangement in which the back surface 23 a of the reconstituted element 24 a is directly bonded to the back surface 23 b of the reconstituted element 24 b without an intervening adhesive to form the bonded structure 1. In FIG. 9D, the first portion 7 a of protective material can extend from the front surface 22 a of the reconstituted element 24 a to the bonding interface 12. The second portion 7 b of protective material can extend from the bonding interface 12 to the front surface 22 b of the reconstituted element 24 b.

FIGS. 9E and 9F illustrate additional examples of singulated reconstituted elements 24 that utilize a second protective layer 40. Additional details regarding methods of forming the reconstituted element 24 of FIGS. 9E and 9F may be found below in, for example, FIGS. 11-12C. In the embodiment of FIG. 9E, for example, the second protective material 40 can be applied over the protective material 7. In FIG. 9E, the second protective material 40 may be exposed at the back surface 23 of the reconstituted element 24 adjacent the bonding layer 4 b. Further, the protective material 7 can be exposed at the front surface 22 adjacent the bonding layer 4 a and underlying the second protective layer 40. Thus, in FIG. 9E, the sidewall 25 can include a horizontal interface 42 between the first and second protective materials 7, 40. Moreover, at the back surface 23, a vertical interface 41 can be provided between the first and second protective materials 7, 40.

In the embodiment of FIG. 9F the second protective material 40 can also be applied over the protective material 7. However, unlike the embodiment of FIG. 9E, in FIG. 9F, a third protective layer 43 can be provided over the second protective material 40. The third protective layer 43 may be exposed at the back surface 23 of the reconstituted element 24. Thus, in FIG. 9F, a vertical interface 45 can be provided between the protective material 7 and the third protective material 43. A horizontal interface 46 can be provided between the second protective material 40 and the third protective material 43.

FIGS. 10A-10E illustrate examples of face up bonded structures 1. Unless otherwise noted, reference numerals in FIGS. 10A-10E may refer to the same or generally similar components as reference numerals in FIGS. 9A-9F. Turning to FIG. 10A, a singulated reconstituted element 24 is shown in a face up orientation. In FIGS. 10B-10D, respective reconstituted elements 24 a, 24 b are directly bonded to one another to form bonded structures.

As with FIG. 9B, FIG. 10B illustrates a front-to-back bonding arrangement in which the front surface 22 a of the reconstituted element 24 a is directly bonded to the back surface 23 b of the reconstituted element 24 b without an intervening adhesive to form the bonded structure 1. In FIG. 10B, a first portion 7 a of protective material can extend from the back surface 23 a of the reconstituted element 24 a to the bonding interface 12. A second portion 7 b of protective material can extend from the bonding interface 12 to the front surface 22 b of the reconstituted element 24 b.

FIG. 10C illustrates a back-to-back bonding arrangement in which the back surface 23 a of the reconstituted element 24 a is directly bonded to the back surface 23 b of the reconstituted element 24 b without an intervening adhesive to form the bonded structure 1. In FIG. 10C, the first portion 7 a of protective material can extend from the front surface 22 a of the reconstituted element 24 a to the bonding interface 12. The second portion 7 b of protective material can extend from the bonding interface 12 to the front surface 22 b of the reconstituted element 24 b.

FIG. 10D illustrates a front-to-front bonding arrangement in which the front surface 22 a of the reconstituted element 24 a is directly bonded to the front surface 22 b of the reconstituted element 24 b without an intervening adhesive to form the bonded structure 1. In FIG. 10D, the first portion 7 a of protective material can extend from the back surface 23 a of the reconstituted element 24 a to the bonding interface 12. The second portion 7 b of protective material can extend from the bonding interface 12 to the back surface 23 b of the reconstituted element 24 b. In FIG. 10D, the bonding layers 4 a can extend over the protective material 7 a, 7 b and can be exposed on the sidewall 25. As explained above in connection with FIG. 6, in some embodiments, the bonding layer 4 a can be provided across the wafer over the protective material 7 such that, when the reconstituted wafer is singulated, the bonding layer 4 a is exposed at the sidewall and flush with the protective material 7 at the sidewall 25.

FIG. 10E illustrates a singulated reconstituted element 24 that has a second protective material 40 disposed over side and upper surfaces of the protective material 7. Unlike the embodiment of FIGS. 9E and 9F, in FIG. 10E, the first front bonding layer 4 a can be coplanar or flush with the second protective material 40. The second back bonding layer 4 b can be coplanar or flush with the protective material 7.

FIG. 11 illustrates another embodiment similar to those described above, except an additional filler material can serve as a second protective material 40 and may be provided over a conformal protective material 7 in the gaps G between adjacent elements 2. The protective material 7 can be deposited conformally over the back sides 10 and side surface 8 of the elements 2 and over the upper surface of the carrier 3. The conformal protective material 7 can have gaps G between portions of the protective material 7 disposed on the side surfaces 8 of the elements 2. The second protective material 40 can serve to fill the gaps G. The second filler protective material 40 can comprise any suitable material, including organic or inorganic materials.

FIGS. 12A-12C illustrate a method for forming a reconstituted wafer 20 according to various embodiments. FIG. 12A is generally similar to FIG. 11, except additional portions of the second protective material 40 are provided on the ends of the outer elements 2. In FIG. 12B, a portion of the protective material 7 and a portion of the second filler protective material 40 can be removed to provide a generally planar surface. In various embodiments, for example, the respective portions of the filler and conformal protective materials 40, 7 can be removed by etching, lapping, grinding, chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), etc. In FIG. 12C, a portion of the bulk semiconductor material of the elements 2 or dies (e.g., silicon) can be removed to form a cavity 16, for example, by etching, lapping, CMP, etc., to expose the conductive vias 13. The conformal and/or gap-fill protective materials may have coefficient(s) of thermal expansion that is (are) within 5 ppm/° C. of a coefficient of thermal expansion of the elements 2 (e.g., integrated device dies).

In FIG. 13A, the second filler protective material 40 can be removed from the structure shown in FIG. 12C, and an additional protective material 48 can be provided over the elements 2 and the exposed vias 13. In FIG. 13B, the provided additional protective material 48 and a portion of the protective material 7 can be removed or planarized to form a bonding surface 49 with the vias exposed on the upper surface.

FIGS. 14A-14C illustrate another embodiment in which a mold compound 50 can be provided between adjacent elements 2 directly bonded to a carrier 3 without an adhesive. In FIG. 14A, the vias 13 are shown as being exposed on the back side, but in other embodiments, the vias 13 can be buried as illustrated above. As shown in FIG. 14B, a metal 51 (such as copper) can be provided over the mold compound 51 as shown in FIG. 14B. For example, in various embodiments, the metal 51 can be provided using an electroless plating process, a sputtering process, or any other suitable method. As shown in FIG. 14C, the metal 51 can be planarized, for example, by chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), or any other suitable method. In some embodiments, structures that utilize an organic material for the mold compound may be challenging to planarize using CMP to sufficient smoothness (e.g., less than 5 nm, etc.). By providing a metal 51 (such as copper) over the mold compound, CMP or other planarization processes can be used to planarize to sufficient smoothness for direct bonding.

FIGS. 15A-15C are generally similar to FIGS. 14A-14C, except in FIGS. 15A-15C, a second metal 52 can be provided over the carrier 3 between the carrier 3 and the mold compound 50. FIGS. 16A-16C illustrate another embodiment in which a protective coating 53 or layer (e.g., silicon oxide) can be provided between the mold compound 50 and the carrier 3. A protective coating can also be provided after die placement and before metal deposition in various embodiments. In FIG. 16A, the protective coating 53 can conformally coat the upper surface of the carrier 3 and upper and side surfaces of the elements 3. The mold compound 50 can be provided over the protective coating 53 and between the elements 2. In FIG. 16B, the metal 51 can be provided over the mold compound 50 as explained above. In FIG. 16C, the portions of the protective coating 53 that overlie the elements 2 can be removed using a polishing, grinding, or lapping process to expose the vias 13. The metal 51 and element 2 can be planarized to form a smooth surface for bonding.

FIGS. 17A-17D illustrates additional bonded structures 1 that can be provided with the methods disclosed herein. In FIG. 17A, the bonded structure 1 can include a plurality of elements 2, which can include combinations of integrated device dies and interposers. Thus, the methods disclosed herein can be used for active and/or inactive devices. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 17A, an insulating column 55 can be provided to separate the adjacent elements 2 in the upper reconstituted element. In FIG. 17B, the bonded structure 1 can include one or more redistribution layers (RDLs) 57 which can include lateral conductive routing traces to carry signals laterally inward or outward. The RDLs 57 can enable fan-in or fan-out arrangements for connecting to an external package substrate. In FIG. 17C, a conductive via 56 can be provided in the insulating column 56 to carry signals from the lower element 2 to the upper surface of the bonded structure 1. In FIG. 17D, the bonded structure 1 can include both the via 56 in the insulating column 56 and the RDL(s) 57. Skilled artisans will understand that additional combinations may be suitable.

FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram of a system 80 incorporating one or more bonded structures 1, according to various embodiments. The system 80 can comprise any suitable type of electronic device, such as a mobile electronic device (e.g., a smartphone, a tablet computing device, a laptop computer, etc.), a desktop computer, an automobile or components thereof, a stereo system, a medical device, a camera, or any other suitable type of system. In some embodiments, the electronic device can comprise a microprocessor, a graphics processor, an electronic recording device, or digital memory. The system 80 can include one or more device packages 82 which are mechanically and electrically connected to the system 80, e.g., by way of one or more motherboards. Each package 82 can comprise one or more bonded structures 1. The bonded structures 1 shown in FIG. 18 can comprise any of the bonded structures 1 shown and described above in connection with FIGS. 1A-17. The bonded structure 1 can include one or more integrated device dies which perform various functions for the system 80.

In one embodiment, a bonded structure is disclosed. The bonded structure can include a first reconstituted element comprising a first element and having a first side comprising a first bonding surface and a second side opposite the first side. The first reconstituted element can comprise a first protective material disposed about a first sidewall surface of the first element. The bonded structure can comprise a second reconstituted element comprising a second element and having a first side comprising a second bonding surface and a second side opposite the first side. The first reconstituted element can comprise a second protective material disposed about a second sidewall surface of the second element. The second bonding surface of the first side of the second reconstituted element can be directly bonded to the first bonding surface of the first side of the first reconstituted element without an intervening adhesive along a bonding interface. The first protective material can be flush with the first bonding surface and the second protective material can be flush with the second bonding surface.

In another embodiment, a bonded structure is disclosed. The bonded structure can include a first reconstituted element comprising a first element and having a first side and a second side opposite the first side. The bonded structure can include a second reconstituted element comprising a second element and having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the first side of the second reconstituted element directly bonded to the first side of the first reconstituted element without an intervening adhesive along a bonding interface. The bonded structure can include a protective material disposed about respective first and second side surfaces of the first and second elements. The bonded structure can include a nonconductive layer disposed between the first and second elements, the nonconductive layer flush with at least one of the first and second side surfaces of the first and second elements such that an interface is provided between the protective material and the nonconductive layer.

In another embodiment, a bonded structure is disclosed. The bonded structure can include a first reconstituted wafer comprising a plurality of first elements. The bonded structure can comprise a second reconstituted wafer comprising a plurality of second elements. The first and second reconstituted wafers can be directly bonded to one another without an adhesive.

In another embodiment, a bonding method is disclosed. The bonding method can include applying a first protective material over a plurality of first elements to form a first reconstituted wafer. The bonding method can include applying a second protective material over a plurality of second elements to form a second reconstituted wafer. The bonding method can include directly bonding the first reconstituted wafer to the second reconstituted wafer without an adhesive.

In another embodiment, a bonding method is disclosed. The bonding method can include directly bonding a first element to a carrier without an adhesive. The carrier can comprise a silicon carrier with a silicon oxide layer disposed directly onto a surface of the silicon carrier. The silicon oxide layer can be directly bonded to the first element. The silicon oxide layer can comprise a native oxide layer or a thermal oxide layer.

All of these embodiments are intended to be within the scope of this disclosure. These and other embodiments will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the embodiments having reference to the attached figures, the claims not being limited to any particular embodiment(s) disclosed. Although this certain embodiments and examples have been disclosed herein, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the disclosed implementations extend beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. In addition, while several variations have been shown and described in detail, other modifications will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art based upon this disclosure. It is also contemplated that various combinations or sub-combinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope. It should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with, or substituted for, one another in order to form varying modes of the disclosed implementations. Thus, it is intended that the scope of the subject matter herein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above, but should be determined only by a fair reading of the claims that follow. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A bonded structure comprising: a first reconstituted element comprising a first singulated element and having a first side comprising a first bonding surface and a second side opposite the first side, the first reconstituted element comprising a first protective material disposed about a first sidewall surface of the first singulated element; and a second reconstituted element comprising a second singulated element and having a first side comprising a second bonding surface and a second side opposite the first side, the second reconstituted element comprising a second protective material disposed about a second sidewall surface of the second singulated element, the second bonding surface of the first side of the second reconstituted element directly bonded to the first bonding surface of the first side of the first reconstituted element without an intervening adhesive along a bonding interface, wherein the first protective material is flush with the first bonding surface and the second protective material is flush with the second bonding surface.
 2. The bonded structure of claim 1, wherein the first and second protective materials are directly bonded to each other without an intervening adhesive.
 3. The bonded structure of claim 1, wherein the first protective material extends from the second side of the first singulated element to the bonding interface, and wherein the second protective material extends from the bonding interface to the second side of the second singulated element.
 4. The bonded structure of claim 1, wherein the first protective material extends from the second side of the first singulated element to the first bonding surface, and wherein the second protective material extends from the second side of the second singulated element to the second bonding surface.
 5. The bonded structure of claim 1, further comprising a nonconductive layer disposed between the first and second singulated elements, the nonconductive layer flush with at least one of the first and second sidewall surfaces of the first and second singulated elements such that an interface is provided between the first and second protective materials and the nonconductive layer.
 6. The bonded structure of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second singulated elements comprises an integrated device die.
 7. The bonded structure of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second protective materials comprises a plurality of layers.
 8. The bonded structure of claim 1, wherein a surface roughness of the respective second sides of the first and second reconstituted elements is less than 2 nm.
 9. The bonded structure of claim 1, wherein the first protective material comprises silicon nitride.
 10. The bonded structure of claim 1, wherein the first reconstituted element further comprises a conductive contact that at least partially defines the first bonding surface of the first side of the first reconstituted element.
 11. The bonded structure of claim 10, wherein the first reconstituted element further comprises a conductive via that electrically connects the first singulated element and the conductive contact.
 12. A bonded structure comprising: a first reconstituted element comprising a first singulated element and having a first side and a second side opposite the first side; a second reconstituted element comprising a second singulated element and having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the first side of the second reconstituted element directly bonded to the first side of the first reconstituted element without an intervening adhesive along a bonding interface; a protective material disposed about respective first and second side surfaces of the first and second singulated elements; and a nonconductive layer disposed between the first and second singulated elements, the nonconductive layer flush with at least one of the first and second side surfaces of the first and second singulated elements such that an interface is provided between the protective material and the nonconductive layer.
 13. The bonded structure of claim 12, wherein the protective material extends from the second side of the first reconstituted element to the second side of the second reconstituted element.
 14. The bonded structure of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first and second singulated elements comprises an integrated device die.
 15. The bonded structure of claim 12, wherein the protective material comprises a first portion extending from the second side of the first reconstituted element to the bonding interface and a second portion extending from the second side of the second reconstituted element to the bonding interface.
 16. The bonded structure of claim 15, wherein the first portion comprises a first protective layer and a second protective layer, the first protective layer extending from the second side of the first reconstituted element to the second protective layer.
 17. The bonded structure of claim 15, wherein the first and second portions are generally co-planar.
 18. The bonded structure of claim 12, wherein a surface roughness of the respective second sides of the first and second reconstituted elements is less than 2 nm.
 19. A bonded structure comprising: a first reconstituted wafer comprising a plurality of first singulated elements; and a second reconstituted wafer comprising a plurality of second singulated elements, wherein the first and second reconstituted wafers are directly bonded to each other without an adhesive.
 20. The bonded structure of claim 19, further comprising a first carrier supporting the first reconstituted wafer and a second carrier supporting the second reconstituted wafer, the plurality of first singulated elements directly bonded to the first carrier without an adhesive, the plurality of singulated second elements directly bonded to the second carrier without an adhesive.
 21. The bonded structure of claim 19, further comprising a first protective material disposed between adjacent first singulated elements of the first reconstituted wafer and a second protective material disposed between adjacent second singulated elements of the second reconstituted wafer, the first and second protective materials directly bonded to each other without an adhesive.
 22. The bonded structure of claim 19, further comprising a first bonding layer over the first reconstituted wafer and a second bonding layer over the second reconstituted wafer, the first and second bonding layers directly bonded to each other without an adhesive. 